Tank



Sept. 16. 1924. 1,508,575

E. C. PITCHER ET AL TANK Filed July 18. 1925 ELME12- CT- PITCHER FgEp ScHMrrz Patentes sept. rareza.

n i r u l g l g1,508,5:2'5

ELI/run c. PITCHER Aim anni) wv scnivirfrz, or san innamorano, CALIFORNIA.

TANK.

Application filed July 125,A 1923. Serial No. 652,289.

T 0 fallin/wm t may cof/accru Be it known thatv we, Emma C. PITCHER and FRED lV. Soi-raum, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city and county of San Francisco, State ot California, have made a new and useful invention-to wit, Improvements in Tanks; and we do hereby declare the following to be a tull, clear, concise, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates particularly to an improved construction ot wooden receptacles 'for the storage ot fluids.

The principal` object ot this invention relates to the construction of a wooden tank having joints between the staves ot the sides and bottom or" the tank maintained in a moistened condition to swell the wood and prevent shrinkage when the fluid con tent is drained from the tank, or when filled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wooden tank having the stave joints in the sides and bottom of the tank communicating one with the other so that a continuous circulation may be maintained throughout the stave joints in the sides and bottom of the tank through an inlet and outlet.

A. still further object of our invention is to provide an apparatus that will be superior.

in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness ot construction, positiveness ot operation and facility and convenience in use and general etliciency. Other objects and advantages will appear as this description progresses.y ln this specification and the an1ie; edr

drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may kbe embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired lto cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying rof drawings,

Fig. l represents a perspective view ot a tank constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken through Figi on the line 2 2.

Fig. 3 is perspective view ot a single stave' Fig. 4f is a form of tank bottom having a modified fluid course around the bottom thereof.

one sheet are assembled and hooped kby the adjustable metal bands 4 aroundthev outside thereof in a conventional manner. Theabutting ork matching faces ot keach Lpair ot; staves,` are provided with rcomplementary grooves or slotsy 5 therein, arranged' between the inner and youter faces of said staves and extend ing from a point adjacent the upper end of the stave down to.. av groove or passage 6` adjacent the cro/Ze 2, said passage en# tending entirely through the stave'to communicate the bottoml ends ot thegrooves 5.y Each stave near ythe, upper end is pOvided with a hole or passage? extending between and .connecting the grooves 5 on theopposite sides kof each stave. QTlnis, whenthe tank is assembled 'the passages and holes@ and 7 in, the top andbottom of the` side staves l will form afcontinuous and uninterrupted passage entirely around the tank.

j The opposite side edges ot each ofthe/bot,- tom members or staves Bare provided withA corresponding grooves or slots 8, extending j a continuous and connected` duct around the outer edge of said bottom within the crojze. Connecting passages l0 are bored through the bottoni ot the staves to communicate the bottom grooves 6 with the continuous groove 9 in the tank bottom. Aften the tank yis assembled, allk of the groovesin the stave joints in the sides and bottom communicatel with each other to form conduits, through which a fluid may be circulated. Y

In the practice of this invention, water would be admittedthroughthe inlety 11 .into theL bottom passage 6 of the side staves l, from whence it would circulate through the connecting passage lO into they continuous groove 9 inthe bottom, around the croze joint and from which fluid would be introiduced throughthe passages Sinto the botwith the continuous passage 9 and be drawn through the outlet 12. Tater Would be circula-ted throughout every stave joint in either the side or bottom ot the assembled tank to swell the respective joints substantially leak proof, to prevent contraction or shrinkage between the stave joints at all `times, either when the tank would be filled With fluids, or other solutions, or when empty. f

The modified form of tank bottom vshown in Fig. 4; is constructed slightly different from that previously shown and described. The opposite side edges ot each of the bottom staves 3 are provided with the corresponding grooves` 8 throughout approXimately the entire length. The grooves do not extend into the croze 2 nor are the ends of the bottoni staves, tted Within the croze, provided with a groove 9. Each bottom stave is provided with a hole or passage 13, extending entirely through, between grooves 8, from one edge to the other, the hole in one stave being at the end thereof opposite the holes in the adjacent stave, so that the said passages are placed at the same ends of alternate staves. An'inlet passage 14 would be provided in the croze tocommunicate the groove otra. bottom stave joint with the bottom groove 5 of the 'side staves, whereby the' Water or other circulating medium Would Wind a tortuous passage throughout the lengths of and across the Widths of eac-h individual bottom stave so as to escape through the outlet 15 to the atmosphere, Either the moditiedvor preferred forms of construction serve to keep the stave joints in the desired moistened condition and to thus prevent leakage.

Experiments with the form oic invention described have proven it a 0ood design for holding` solutions which would rapidly Work through the stave joints ot' tanks constructed by any of the older known methods. Tanks of this character may he efficiently used for the storage ci" oil, which generally has a j tendency to shrink the Wooden tank staves,

necessitating the continual tightening up of the hoops, however, this shrinkage isi eliminated Where the stave joints are thoroughly saturated, with Water according to the practice of my invention.

Having thu's described this invention, What `we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is :"-l

1. A tank consisting of a side Wall and bottom, composed of staves and having grooves in the joints of said staves; and spaced passages in the opposite ends of each of said side Wall staves communicating With said bottom grooves.

2. A tank composed ot staves having Water passages in each of the stave joints; and a stave bottom in said tank having Water passages in each of the stave joints and connecting with said iii-st mentioned passages.

3. A tank composed or" staves having Water passages in each of the stave joints; a conduit in each of said staves connecting the passages on opposite sides thereoigand a stave bottom 'in said tank having Water passages in each of the stave oints and connectf ing with said first mentioned passages.

4r. A tank composed of staves having Water passages in each ot the stave joints; independent conduits in the opposite ends of each oit said staves connecting the passages on opposite sides thereof; and a stave bottoni in said tank having Water passages in each of the stave joints and connecting with said first mentioned passages'. v

5. A tank composed of staves having Water passages in each of the stave joints; a conduit in each of said staves connecting the Water passages on opposite sides thereof; a stave bottom in said tank having Water passages in each or' the stave joints connected with said first mentioned Water passages to form a continuous Water passage throughout the tank and bottom staves.

6. A tank composed of staves having Water passages in each of the stave joints; a conduit in each of said staves connecting the.

Water passages on opposite sides thereof; a stave bottom in said tank having Water passages in @ach of the stave joints; and conduits connecting the Water passages in adjoining staves, arranged at the same ends oi" alternate staves and connected with said first mentioned Water passages to forni a continuous water passage through. the tank and bottom staves.

in testimony whereof, We have hereunto set our hands at San Francisco, California, this 26th day of October 1922.

ELMER C.' PITCHER. FRED W. SCHMITZ. ln presence ot--` LiNccLN V. JOHNSON. 

